


Mistletoe

by IllegalCerebral



Series: Criminal Minds Christmas Fics [3]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluffy Ending, Gentle Kissing, M/M, Matchmaker Garcia, Mistletoe, Surprise Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2019-02-15 07:51:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13026552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllegalCerebral/pseuds/IllegalCerebral
Summary: Someone keeps hanging bunches of Mistletoe around the BAU's office and Spencer knows plenty of facts about mistletoe and associated Christmas traditions.





	Mistletoe

“Mistletoe is actually hemiparasitic” said Reid looking at the bunch hanging over the entrance to the bullpen “It derives part of it’s nutrition from another plant. Not exactly romantic.”

“What it is, is an HR disaster waiting to happen” said Emily “Also it’s only the second week of December, should it be up that early?”

“I wanted to decorate the office after Halloween!” said Garcia, her glitzy christmas jumper casting little flecks of light on the surrounding desks.

“Get rid of it please” groaned Emily “I don’t want to see any horny agents making out underneath it”

“The name actually comes from the Old English word for ‘twig’” said Reid. He began to swirl his coffee in his new Christmas mug.

“It’s kind of an ugly plant to be associated with Christmas canoodling” said Garcia, “I’m gonna move it to my bat cave”

* * *

“Even though Mistletoe is a parasite” Reid was telling Rossi after the roundtable  “There are instances when it actually has a positive effect on the environment around it. In 2002 a study found that when mistletoe grows around juniper bushes, the bushes produce more berries. It also has a positive effect on biodiversity.”

“We had to stop my dog eating mistletoe for Christmas one year:” countered Rossi, “She threw up everywhere, ruined an antique rug”

* * *

Garcia had managed to smuggle some tinsel onto the jet at some point. There wasn’t enough time to take it down before take off so Emily had relented and also hadn’t commented when Garcia had phoned in wearing full Christmas regalia.

“That hat is adorable Penelope” cooed JJ “And the jet looks amazing”

“I hung up some mistletoe too” said Garcia “By the coffee maker”

“In Norse mythology mistletoe was the only plant that the god Baldur was vulnerable too and he was accidentally killed with an arrow made out of it” chimed in Reid.

“Spence, where is your sense of romance?” laughed JJ.

* * *

“So why is it associated with kissing at Christmas?” Luke asked. Garcia had managed to add a few more bunches around the bullpen and with Christmas only a week away Emily had finally given up.

Reid glanced up from his paperwork and moved to join Luke.

“There was a druidic religious ceremony called the Ritual of Oak and Mistletoe where the Druids would dress in white and cut bunches of mistletoe before sacrificing two bulls. The mistletoe was then made into a potion to encourage fertility and cure poisoning. It probably retained some of the associations from that” Reid explained.

“I have never kissed anyone under the mistletoe” said Luke with a  shrug. Reid blinked, that was surprising. “Isn’t it bad luck to refuse a kiss?”

“Yes there was a tradition in Victorian England where-”

He was cut off by Luke’s lips, soft and warm. The story got muddled in his brain somewhat even after they broke apart. Reid blinked, feeling warm, like he was sitting by the fireside.

“Actually the mistletoe only works if it was cut down by a druid wearing white” said Reid, feeling giddy.

“Better safe than sorry though” grinned Luke.

Out of sight Garcia watched the two with a small smile on her face.

“Told you it would work” she said, nudging Emily.

“It took weeks” said Emily “I just rigged the Secret Santa so they got each other. It seemed easier.”


End file.
